Browsed byCategory: Recipes

Christmas Treats

Christmas sugar cookies are my absolute weakness! However, when I discovered that refined sugar was a sensitivity for me, I knew I had to find a good substitute. I love that this recipe is easy to make and has great ingredients. I love that this recipe is gluten-free and refined sugar-free. I don’t feel bad about indulging one bit!

The frosting is made with collagen, palm oil, and raw honey. My body loves it and just wants to gobble it up. Yes, part of that is because it tastes so sweet and delicious. The collagen offers great protein. The palm oil is a wonderful source of vitamin E, and the raw honey contains lots of B vitamins and enzymes. We even used natural food coloring.

Traditions

I love that I can still have my treats and share this tradition with the kids. Plus, I always want to provide the most nutrient dense options for growing kids, and I don’t really want to deal with a cranky kid that is coming off of a sugar crash.

Noah and I loved making these cookies together. This might be my favorite cooking adventure with him yet! We got so messy that Noah had to wash off in the sink I guess, and he is definitely a batter eater like his mama!

Check out the original recipes here:

Happy, Healthy Holidays!

The holidays are already stressful enough. So, if you are trying to eat healthy or cater to food sensitivities that can only add to the work. For our Thanksgiving meal I wanted to cook a meal that was gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and egg-free for my family.

I loved the recipes I found to make our Thanksgiving a little healthier. The sweet potato casserole, gravy, biscuits, stuffing, and biscuits added elements to the meal that are traditional favorites. My family didn’t notice any lack of flavor with these better for you versions, and some of them they liked better!

I loved that the cranberry sauce was SO EASY to make, and I was able to put it together while I was cleaning dishes one night. Many dishes I could make ahead and save time on the day of. It made the holidays so much less stressful.

My Favorite Part of Thanksgiving

My favorite way to start the day is by doing our local Turkey Trot in Lansing. We love to dress up and run together. This year, I let Noah out of the jogger right before the finish, and we were able to jog in together. It was so fun!

Plus, we get to see all of our friends from our running group. It is such a fun, happy atmosphere along with the exercise.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Check out the original recipe here. For our version, we used a banana instead of the egg. It worked great, and the banana added some nice sweetness to the taste. I even made this a week ahead and froze it to save time on the actual day (and space in my refrigerator).

Yes, More Pumpkin…

Have I mentioned my family loves pumpkin?!?! On weekends, I love to make fun breakfasts for my family, and this one was a hit. It is a recipe from the Eat This, Not That blog. However, I think it is important to share with parents the “healthy” recipes that kids will actually eat and that actually cook up correctly. Enjoy!

Crowd Pleaser

I found a recipe I figured my family would like and one that I could make several batches of and freeze. This recipe will please even the pickiest eater with the creamy, cheesy taste mixed with the taco flavors! It is gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and egg-free.

I found the original recipe on the Written Reality blog, but I swapped some of the ingredients for better options to use cassava tortillas, preservative free ingredients, and pasture-raised meat and dairy.

Noah and I had such a fun time making this one together, and there was SO much clean up to do after! However, the adventure and the meal were worth it!

Happy Fall!

My house is full of pumpkin lovers. So, we start pumpkin season early and keep it going. On weekends, I love to make fun breakfasts for my family, and this one was a hit. It is a mix of other bloggers’ recipes and my own spin on things. Enjoy!

Trick-o-Treat!

Kids get so excited for Halloween, don’t they?!?! The costumes. The decorations. THE CANDY. It is a ton of fun, but the amount of sugar can give a parent anxiety. Plus, when you have a child that has a food sensitivity dealing with school parties can be a challenge since they can’t have what’s provided, but you don’t want them to feel left out.

Noah and I had a blast making chocolate covered popcorn and chocolate pudding graveyard cups. These are easy, healthy, and delicious treats that are great for kids parties and replace some of the more typical sugary options.

Other Supplies

clear plastic cups

Halloween toppers

Directions

Makes 4 servings.

Cook brownie and pudding. **Refer to above links for the original recipes for cooking directions for the pudding and brownie. The only difference is that I used a gelatin egg instead of a flax egg for the brownies.

Once the pudding has set and the brownie has cooled, start layering each into the plastic cups.

Place a thick layer of pudding into the cup. Then, crumble some brownie, and add a thick layer of brownie over the pudding.

Halloween Treats!

Kids get so excited for Halloween, don’t they?!?! The costumes. The decorations. THE CANDY. It is a ton of fun, but the amount of sugar can give a parent anxiety. Plus, when you have a child that has a food sensitivity dealing with school parties can be a challenge since they can’t have what’s provided, but you don’t want them to feel left out.

So, Brynn and I created these fun AND EASY pumpkin chocolates that would be great as a Halloween treat, especially for school parties. They are refined sugar-free, gluten-free, egg-free, and dairy-free. Woohoo!! Plus, they are super cute and delicious.

S’more Love

Brendon, my husband and I, have a special place in our hearts for s’mores. For our honeymoon, we went to Hocking Hills National Park and stayed in a remote cabin. Each night, we made a campfire, cuddled in a blanket, and made s’mores.

Since coming back home, we have a bonfire at home and love making s’mores as an at home date. However, regular s’mores are full of sugar and my stomach doesn’t really like that.

So, I devised a recipe to have healthier s’mores so we can still enjoy our nights together or with the kids.

Where You Make the S’mores

Sometimes A Girl Just Needs a Cupcake

During the first trimester of my second pregnancy, I was craving sweets BAD! However, refined s0ugar reeks havoc on my stomach, and I know it is not good for my growing baby.

So, typical me went to Pinterest and found the “best” red velvet cupcake out there to modify. I didn’t go for a pre-formulated paleo recipe because I find coconut flour and almond flour don’t work the best for cupcakes. I love cassava flour because it is a 1:1 substitution, and my body was craving carbs! Plus, I find with low carb treats, it ends up being more calories for me, which isn’t helpful either.

Brinner Time!

Mondays are breakfast for dinner. So, we did eggs with these cute pancake sausage muffins topped with some real maple syrup. Delicious and a kid hit! I made this recipe but substituted cassava flour and coconut sugar.

I loved being able to make these on Sunday night as we were getting ready for the week. Then, I had very little work to do at dinner time on Monday. Have I mentioned how much I try not to actually cook at dinner time? At that time, I always have at least one kid that wants my attention, I feel like I am still trying to get all my stuff in the door, and I want to spend time with my family. So, when it was dinner time, all I had to do was heat the muffins in the oven, while I quickly make some eggs and smoothie to go with them.

Ingredients

1 pound breakfast sausage, cooked and cut into small pieces

3 cups full-fat coconut milk or full-fat milk of choice*

8 tablespoons white vinegar*

4 cups cassava flour

8 tablespoons coconut sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

8 tablespoons grass-fed butter, melted

2 teaspoon vanilla

*Note: For the milk and vinegar, you can also substitute buttermilk or just use milk of choice and skip the vinegar.

Directions

Cook your sausage in the oven or in a skillet. Once cooked, break it into crumbles. I baked patties in the oven at 350 F for 20 minutes, and then, cut the patties into crumbles. I like this way because then I don’t have to watch a skillet.

Preheat your oven to 400 F.

Add the vinegar and milk together. Then, let them sit for 5 minutes.

Add all ingredients into a blender except for the sausage.

Blend ingredients until smooth.

Remove the blade from the blender, and mix in the sausage crumbles until they are evenly incorporated.